Police put out a plea Thursday for the public's help in identifying a man who opened fire during an attempted robbery in Reading.

The holdup attempt happened a few minutes before 3 a.m. last Saturday at the Sunoco A-Plus convenience store in the 700 block of Spring Street.

The store clerk was standing near the hot dog grill when a man entered the store and pointed a gun at him, yelling, "Give me all your money," said police, adding that the clerk stood there for a moment in disbelief before the would-be robber fired a shot at the floor.

Quick Clicks

The clerk then ran behind the counter's glass partition and locked the door behind him, prompting the gunman to fire two shots at the protective glass before fleeing the store without any money or merchandise, police said.

The clerk was not injured.

The would-be robber is described by police as a Hispanic man who was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, a red-brimmed hat and jeans.

Anyone with information about the attempted robbery is asked to call Crime Alert Berks County at 877-373-9913. A cash reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.